Means for transmitting power from axles to bodies of railway-cars.



L. T. MANN.

MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM AXLES T0 BODIES 0F RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1907.

Patented. Mar. 12, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. DT. MANN.

A MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM AXLBS T0 BODIES OF RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1907.

Patented Mar. 12,-1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- L. T. MANN.

MEANS POR TRANSMI-TTING POWER FROM AXLES T0 BODIES 0F RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,1907. 14,01 9,903, Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

SSHEBTS-SHEET 3.

vUruinn STATES A P A'riam OFFICE.

,LOUIS MANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

To-all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, LOUIS T. MANN,- a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, rin t-he county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful' Improvements in Means for TransmittingPower from Axles to Bodies of Rail'- way-Cars, ci which the following isa speciiication.

This invention relates to means for transmitting power from the axles tobodies of railway cars, being especially adapted for electricallylighting and heating such cars, and has for its eneral object to providea practical and effi.z power may be transmitted from one of the axles ofthe car truck tothe dynamo electric generator carried bythe car bodyproper, the mechanism being-of such a character that the transmission ofthe motion will be unaffected by the direct-ion of rotation of the axleand the variations andi relative dis-v t'ance and position between t-hecar body and axle which occur in practice when the car ris in motion. y

My present invention is based upon the fundamental principle ofoperation disclosed in the mechanism forming the subject-matter ofLetters Patent No. 633,385, granted to me September 19, l1899, whereinthe power is transmitted from the car axle to the dynamo generatorlocated above thel floor of the 'car body by and through transmittinmeans occupying a position axially jcoinci ent with the axes of the bodyand Itruck bolster center bearings.

In some kinds or classes ofcars it is im` practicable or undesirable tolocate the electric generator above the car floor, pwing to lack ofspace .and other considerations, and

one importantl object of my present im' are to improve the reliabilityand easy running qualities of the power transmitting mechanism between'the car axle and dynamo and to render the same more perfectly automaticand self-adjusting in character and non-susceptible to the wide range ofvariations of position and movement conspecificati@ or Letters Patient.l Application led June 3, 1907. Serial No. 376,963.

cient construction whereby stantly occurring between the car axle, thetruck frame, and the body bolster when the car is in rapid motion.

Still other and minor objects are to provide means adapted to prevent4breaking strains on the power-transmittin elements under comparativelysuddenc anges in speed, as well as to provide improved means forregulating the speed at which the gen.- erator may be drivenirrespective of the speed of rotation of the axle, so as to preventoverheating and other possible injury of the former. f i To these andother ends theinvention consists in certain novel features, which I willnow proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out` in theclaims. l

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 yis an elevational View, partlyin vertical section,- of a portion of a six-wheel car truck and theimmediate superposed portion of the floor frame and body holsters of thecar body having myvpresent improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail view partly in elevation and partly in vertical sectionthrough the-center bearingsof the -body and truck holsters, in a planetransverse tothe car axle, and illustratin a modification of thedisconnecting means ie tween'the dynamo and its power-transmittingmechanism as comparedv with' Fig. l1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2but 1n a plane at rightangles to the plane of the lat-v ter figure, andin section through the a'xle gears and gear casing, and furtherillustrating another position of the generator d1- rectly labove thecenter bearings. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail cross-sectional views on thelines 4 4' 'and 5-5 of Fig. 3, respectively, more particularlyillustrating the sectional character of'the axle gears and theautomaticclutch mechanism between said gears and the axle.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improvements asapplied to and in connection with a six-wheel truck, al-

'Patentea Mar. 12, 1912.

though it will be understood that the same 'are equally applicable tothe common fourwheel truck t rough the interposition of ad'- ditionalower-transmitting mechanism between eit er axle and the vertical centerof the truck frame, such vas is shown in m for'- mer atent above referrd to. Referrlng to `the rawings, 10 may esignate as an en-A 'tirety thetruck frame, 11 the center axle, 12 y one of the endaxles, 13 thespringbeams,

and 14 thecenter bolster of a standard type Y of six-wheel 'truck.-These, "and t-he other 'parts and accessories of the truck, which neednot bevherein specifically described, are

ter plates, and body bolster are centrly apertured, as usual, to.provide for the pas- 20 of the usualform and construction, with theexception that the center truck'bolster14 is,-

sage of the king-bolt 19- which, 'in'this instance, is made hollow ortubular to provide t for the passage therethrough of certain elements ofthe powertransmitting mechanism.

. Suitably secured to the under side `of vthe floor fframe of the car,as by a depending bracket 2O is a dynamo electric generator indicatedlat 21 so disposed that its armature shaft 22 lies longitudinally Vofthevcar frame. The dynamo vis driven by powertransmitting devices from thecenter axle 11 upwardly through the tubular king-bolt- 19' and'thencelaterally 'olf to the dynamo by the following described. mechanism. On

l 11, as shown in Fig. 3, is mounted a bearing the inner reduced portion11a lof the axle Y' sleeve 23 preferablymade intwo` parts l. unitedlbybolts 24 for convenience of applicationand -having its ends sealed bypacking rings 25 and glands 26. The bear# ing sleeve 23 is splined tothe' axle so as .to partake of the rotary movements ofthe latte` Whilenevertheless having a relative ysliding movement vthereon to accommodatethe endwse movement o f the axle relatively to the `"truck frame whichvoccurs when thecar is in-motiOIlv, as by means of alfeatlier 27 on oneof said "parts engaging a longitudinal slot 28 on the other; thebearing.

'sleeve 23 being-itself confined practically against endwise movement byU-shaped vhangers 29 depending from the opposite sides' of the centertruck bolster 14. Em; bracing'the bearing sleeve23 isa gear casing 30preferably made in two or more parts united by tie-bolts 31 forconvenience of application.l Within this casing and surrounding the'bearing sleeve 23 are a pair l of oppositely vand inwardlyl facingbevelgears 32 and 33, said'ge'ars being Ialsofprefe erably, and asmoreparticularlyjshown in Figs. '4 and 5 ,made each in a pair of matingsemi-'circularfparts unit-ed by bol ts or 'screws34 for convenience of'application to gears 32 and 33 is provided with an inter-` nal clutchmechanism of a well known type consisting of one or more acute angledA-ers 36, whereby a turning movement of the sleeve in'one directionwedges the rollers pockets 35 Within which are contained `roll- 36between the inclined'wall of `the pocket and the surface of thesleeve,thereby renl dering the gear fast with the sleeve, While a turningmovement of the sleeve in the opposite direction releases `the clutchengagement of the rollers and 'permits' the sleeve to turn free andindependent of the gears. The'clutchdevices of the two gears 32 and33,'are inversely or oppositely disposed so that when the axl'eill isturned inonee direction the gear 32 is driven while turns in theopposite direction the gear 33 is driven andthe gear 32 is idle.

The gea;` casing 30 has acentral upwardly the gear'33 is idle, andwhenthe axle 11 extending hollow neck .portion 305,within which isfitted a sleeve 37 having at its upper end an annular flange`38 andcarrying` on its lower end within thegear casing a horlzontally disposedbevel gear 39-that `meshes on opposite sides with the gears32 and 33.The gear 39 ispreferably held on the sleeve 37 through the agency of aroller' clutch mechanism indicated at 40 similarto that vshown anddescribed in connect-ion with Ithegears` 32 and 33, said clutchmechanism being so arranged and disposed as torender the gear 39 fastwith the lsleeve 37 in the direction of drive imparted by the gears 32and 33, but permitting the driven sleeve 37 to turn freely in the gear39 incasel themomentum of the driven parts tends to rothat at which itisnormally driven by the gear 39, thereby eliminating strain on .the

tate the .sleeve 37 at a higher speed than gear teeth in the event cfasudden stopping or slowing down of the axle and the parts directlydriven thereby. 37 is rotatably lfitted a vertical shaft seckeyed orsplined a friction clutch member 42. adapted to be driven from thesleeve 37 through the intervention of a friction ring 43 fitted toannular mating grooves'or Within the sleeve tion 41, on the upperportion of Which-ischannels formedin'the opposed faces of the flange 38and superposed clutch membei 42;4 the .clutch imemberp42 being normallyfriction ring 43 by a compression spring pressed into ydriven engagementwith the confined bet-ween-the upper side of the mem-f ber.42 and acollar 45 keyed or pinnedv as at 46 to the shaft section 41; 1

The purpose of the-last anism is to provide a driving connection-.between'the positivelyy drivensleeve37 and- Q lthe shaft section -41that Will'drive the latter 'positivelyup to a certain speed limit of thedrivingparts, but beyond that limit the bearing' sleeve. The huby of'eachxof the will afford a degree of..slip or yieldfthat willv4 preventthe driving ofthe dynamo at A an undue lor injurious speed. The upperend of the shaft section 41 is squared as indicated at 41a and engages acorrespondingly shaped socket in a flexible universal j'oint couplingmember 47, thisl latter being y part extensible and contractibleyertical shaft consisting of lower and upper telescoping members 48 and49, respectively,

- lao that are housed in the tubular king-bolt-19 and are uitablyconnected to turn together through a transverse key 50 onthe member 48pro'ectin at its ends from opposite sides'o the itter and slidinglyengaging a air of longitudinal slots 51 in opposite si es of the member49 (Fig. 2).

It will.be observed that the lower or en?. trance ends of the slots 51are tapered or beveled as shown at 51, while the upper edges of theprojecting ends of the key 50 are li-kewise beveled or tapered as shownat 50a, the purpose and effect of this construction being toautomatically effect the engagement of the coperat ing key and slotswhen the telescoping parts are brought t0- gether, irrespective of theparticular relative positions-in which said parts may meet each other;the advantage of this construction being that no exact preliminaryregistration of the telescoping members in order to edect their union isnecessary, since they 4willi automatically engage each otherirrespective of their particular meeting posi tions. On the upper end ofthe upper shaft section 49, and above the upper end of` the tubularking-bolt 19 is shrunk or keyed a bevel gear 52 that meshes with anddrives a companion bevel gear 53 on the'adjacent end of a horizontalshaft 54 that is journaled in suitable'bearings 55 resting on the upper`slde of the body bolster 17, the other end of said shaft 54 carryinga'plain spur gear j ,-56 that' meshes with an underlying companionfgear57 on the adjacent end of a countersha t 58 journaled in dependingbrackets 59 from the underside of the floor frame,

l` the other end of saidshaft 58' carrying a suitable friction or otherclutch member v60 e adaptedto coperate with 11a-companionA clutchmember`61 on the armature shaft ofy the dynamo 21, said clutch beingoperated i. nearer the source of power, so as r,to obviate the necessityof driving the entire train of mechanism when the dynamo is thrown out.

of commission. I have illustrated in Fig. 2 an alternative disconnectingor interrupting means adapted to break the continuity of the drivingconnections between the ltwo bevel gears 52 and 53. In this case the hub53'* of the gear 53 is slidably splined on fthe shaft 54 and is normallypressed into drivingV engagement with the companion gear 52 by acompression spring 65 interposed between the hub 53 .of the gear and thebearing bracket 55. The hub 53 of the gear 53 has auan'nular groove 53bengaged y the forked upper end of a short bellcrank lever 66 pivoted at67 in a lug 68 mounted on the body bolster and having a laterallyprojecting arm 66 underlying the lower end vof a rod 69 threaded`through a bearing 70 secured to the under side of the car floor andprovided at its upper end `with any suitable turning means.4 Preferably,in i order to prevent manipulation of'this mem-v ber by unauthorizedpersons, the threaded adjusting rod 69 terminates beneath the uppersurface of the Hoor within a socket/member 71 provided with a suitablelid or closure 72, and is squared as indicated at 69a to n form awrench-hold for a Spanner or other suitable form of wrench. By raisingthe lid 72 and applying the wrench the rod 69 can be turned so as tolower the same and thus actuate the bell-crank 66 in a manner -toretract and hold retracted the gear 53 out of engagementwith itscompanion driving ear 52. The gear 53 is reversely lnoved Into`engagement with ythe gear 52 through the action of the spring 65 whenthe rod 69 is adjusted upwardly by the means described suiliciently topermity such movement on the part of the gear 53:

The gear casing 30 is supported against rotationon the bearing sleeve 23by any r suitable means, those herein shown for such purposes consistingof short spring-pressed plungers 73 slidably mounted inpockets 74 formedin depending brackets 75 suitably secured to the under side of thecentei` truck Y ble boot 76 1s also secured at its `u per and lower endsto the under side of t e dome 14 of the center bolster and the upperside of the gear casing surrounding the driving elements between saidparts to guard them against dust and grit. f

The operation of the mechanism as thus far described has already to a.considerable extent been indicated in connection with the descriptionof such mechanisnubut may be briefly set forth as follows. One of vthegears 32 and 33, according tothe direction 5 rotary movement of the gear39 is imparted to thev sleeve 37 and its Hange 38 forming t the lowerelement of the friction clutch, andl through the friction ring 43 andupper l 4 clutch member 42 this rotaryl movement is I0 transmitted tothe central short shaft section 41, from which the driving impulse istransmitted to the superposed shaft sections ..passing through thetubular king-bolt, the universal joint member or coupling 47 taking careof any lateralvibration in any direction and thus relieving thetelescoping sections 48 and 49 Within the king-bolt .of

any lateral strains. Likewise the telescopf ing sections last mentioned,through their I free longitudinal play relative to eachother,

take care ofvertical vibrations between the Y car-body and the truck.From the bevel gear 52 on the upper end of the upper shaft section- 49the power is .transmitted through 25 the simple driving connectionsdescribed and shown to the armature shaft of the dynamo when the clutchmembers 60 and 61 are engagedwith each other. In case thespeed of theaxle reaches a point at which it would drive the dynamo at anundesirably high rate of speed, the friction Clutch lbetween the sleeve37 and the shaft section 41 comes into play to automatically prevent thetransmission of such excessive speed to the armature shaft. It lwill beunderstood,l

o f course, that this friction clutch or any. slmilar device might beplaced at any other convenient point in the line of power transmission,-but its location as lshown is pre- 40 ferred Where it is near thesource of power.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modification in the manner and placeof.mounting the dynamo generator designedv to somewhat shorten the trainof driving mechanism be-. 4:15l tween the generator and the source ofpower.

In said figure I have indicated a generator 77 having a verticalarmature shaft 78v` mounted on the truck bolster directly above and inaxial alinement with the. vertical 50 transmitting elements from thetruck. As

herein shown the upper telescoping shaft section 49 is provided with afriction clutch member 79 adapted to engage and drive 'a companionclutch .80 on the lower-endl of i the armature shaft. Of course, thedynamo .might `be otherwise located o n or in the 'bolster and itsarmature shaft otherwise .connected to and driven from the' drivmgconnections (passing through the tubular king-bolt; but I have shownherein `1n an illustrative manner'- only a simple v Inanner ofy-mounting thedynamo directly on the body bolster instead -of at a moreremote positionl beneath the car body.

5 vI'f practice the runningparts of the tent clearly mechanism will, ofcourse, be suitably lubricated, either by packing or incasing theml ingrease or feeding oil thereto as may be required. 4. l

It will be observed as constituting an imerator is located wholly at apoint beneath or below;7 the car'floor, thus not occupying any otherwiseavailable space within the car itself; while at the same time theadvantages ofthe driving connectionl through the center bearings andking-'bolt Where the minimum vibration occurs, as explained in my priorpatenthereinabove referred to, are preserved. Doubtless other locationsfor the dynamo beneath the car floor will befound practical andexpedient in practice, and hence it'should be understood that theinvention is by no means limited either to the particular locations ofthe dynamo' as herein shown or to the particular and specific drivingconnections disclosed, except to the .ex-

indicated i-n specificl claims. I claim:l 1. In a mechanism oftheIcharacter described, the combination withv av car-body and a truck, ofa dynamo located beneath thetloor of the car-bodyf'andpower-transmitting mechanism extendingfrom an axle of thetruck to saiddynamo and in part dis posed substantially coincident with theveryportant feature of improvement attained by the present inventionthat the 'dynamo gentical axisor center of relative movement of thetruck and scribed.

car-body, substantiallyy as deg 2. In a mechanismi of the character-de--scribed, the combination with a carbody and a truck. of a dynamo locatedbeneath the iioor ofthe car-body, power-'transmit'- ting gearingconnected to said dynamo and in part disposed substantially coincidentwith the vertical axis or centerof relative movement of the truck andcar-body, 'and means actuated by an axle of the truck for '11() drivingsaid. power-transmitting gearing always in one direction irrespective ofthe direction of rotation of said axle, substantially as described; V

In a `mechanism of the character' described, thev combination with acar-body vand a truck, of a dynamo located beneath the Hoor of thecar-body, a power-transmitting shaft` dis osed substantially coincidentwith the vertical axis or center of relative movement of said truck andcar-body, gearing connecting the upper endof said shaft with saiddynamo, and gearing carrled .by an axle ofthe truck andf'connectedto-the lower end of said shaft, said-last-named gearing being adaptedytov dri-ve said shaft always is the same direction irrespective ofthe-direction of rotation of said stantiall'y as described'.`

4. In' a'mechanism of the character described,. the combination withavcar-body and a truck,.of dynamo located beneath l the floor of thecar-body, a power-transmittruck in driving engagement with oppositesidesof said last-named gear, and automatic opposltely acting clutchconnections between said axle gears and the axle,y substantially f asdescribed.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with acar-body and a truck, of a dynamo located beneath the Hoor of thecar-body and having a substantially horizontal armature ,shaft` arrangedlongitudinally of the car-body,` a power-transmitting mechanismextending from an axle of the truck to said armature shaft,saidpower-transmitting mechanism including a part disposed substantiallycoincident with the'vertical axis orcenter of relative movement of thetruck and carbody, anda part extending beneath and longitudinally ofthecar-body and connected to said armature shaft, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a mechanism of the'characterfdescribed, the combination with acar-body and a truck connected thereto at its center, of a shaftextending axially rthrough the center bearing of said car-body andtruck, a gear on the lower end of' said shaft, means on an axle of thetruck for drivingy said gear, and aspeed-controlling device between saidgearnand'said shaft adapted to limit the speed of the' latter,substantially as described.

7. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with acar-body l and a truckv connected thereto at its center,

of ajflexible and' extensible shaft extending axially through thecenter' bearing of said car-body and truck member, a gear on the lowerend of said shaft, means on an axle of the truck for drivingsaid gear inone direction irrespective of the direction4 of the movement of saidaxle, and a speed-'controllingdevice between said ear and said shaftadapted to limit the spee of the latter, s ub stantially as described.

8. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with acar-body and bod bolster, of a six-wheel truck, a truck bo ster having acentral dome-shaped portion between the center bearing and the middleaxle, a vertical power-transmittingshaft axially coincident withthecenter of. said center bearing and extending upwardly ythrough saidtruck and body-holsters, and

driving mechanism for said shaft mounted on said middle axle within andbeneath the dome of said truck bolster, substantially as described.

9. In a mechanism of' the character described, ythe combination with acar truck, of a power-transmitting gear` mounted on an axle of saidtruck, a gear-casing surrounding said gear, and means fr preventingrotation of said gear-casing on said axle, `comprising spring-pressedplungers mounted in the truck frame and engaging opposite sides of saidgear casing, substantially as described. y.

10. In a mechanism of the character described,the combination wit-h acar truck,

o' a power-transmitting gear mounted on and rotatable with an axle ofsaid truck by means permittin sliding movement of said axle therethrougand means continuously operative to confine saidv gear a ainstbodilymovement longitudinally of said axle, substantially as described.

11. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with acar truck, of a bearing sleeve splined on an axle of said truck, a gearmounted on said bearing sleeve, a gear-casing surrounding said gear,means for preventing rotation of said gear-casing, and means to confinesaid bearing sleeve and` gear-casing against bodily movement lengthwiseof said axle, substantially as described.

12. In a mechanismof the character described, the combination with a cartruck and truck bolster, of Ya bearing sleeve splined on an axle of saidtruck, a gear mounted on said bearing sleeve, a gearcasing surroundingsaid gear, means for preventing rotation of said gear-caslng, and stopsdepending from said truck bolster and confining said gear-casing andbearlng sleeve against bodily movement lengthwise of said axle,substantially as described.

13. In a power-transmitting mechanlsm of the character described, atwo-part, extensible and contractible shaft comprising a pair oftelescoping members provlded, the one with one or more longitudinalslots having tapered or beveled lower edges and the other with one ormore keys to engage said slot or slots and having beveled or taperedupper edges, whereby when said members are telescoped said coperatingpartsl automatically pass into engagement with each other, substantiallyas described.

LOUIS T. MANN. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND,

FREDERICK GOODWIN.

